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The Economy of Portugal is of a mixed nature and functions in support of a high income country. The WEF's Global Competitiveness Report for 2014-2015 ranked Portugal 36th;〔http://www3.weforum.org/docs/GCR2013-14/GCR_Rankings_2013-14.pdf〕 Portugal's ranking had been falling since 2005 (with the exception of 2011)〔http://www.publico.pt/economia/noticia/portugal-desce-dois-lugares-no-ranking-da-competitividade-1604866〕 but recovered from the 51st position in 2013 to the 36th in 2014. Most imports come from the European Union (EU) countries of Spain, Germany, France and the United Kingdom, while most exports also involve other EU member states. The Portuguese currency is the euro (€) and the country has been a part of the Eurozone since its inception. Portugal's central bank is the ''Banco de Portugal'', which forms part of the European System of Central Banks, and the major stock exchange is the Euronext Lisbon, which belongs to the NYSE Euronext, the first global stock exchange. The Portuguese Economy has been steady, expanding continuously since the third quarter of 2014, with a yearly GDP growth of 1.5% registered in the second quarter of 2015. The economy growth has been accompanied by a continuous fall in the unemployment rate (11.9% in the second quarter of 2015, compared with 13.9% registered in the end of 2014). The Government budget deficit has also been reduced from the 11.2% of GDP in 2010 to 4.8% in 2014. These rates mark an inversion from the negative trends caused by the impact of the Financial Crisis of 2008 in the Portuguese Economy, that made it to shrink for three consecutives years (2011, 2012 and 2013), accompanied by a high increase of the unemployment rate (that achieved a record of 17.7% in the early 2013). The crisis has caused a wide range of domestic problems that are specifically related to the levels of public deficit, as well as the excessive debt levels, in the economy, culminating in the confirmation from Portugal to a €78 billion financial bailout from the EU in April 2011, following similar decisions from Greece and Ireland. The government that assumed office in June 2011 had to face tough choices in regard to its attempts to stimulate the economy while at the same time seeking to maintain its public deficit around the EU average. Portugal is home to a number of notable leading companies with worldwide reputations, such as Portucel Soporcel, a major world player in the international paper market; Sonae Indústria, the largest producer of wood-based panels in the world; Amorim, the world leader in cork production; Conservas Ramirez, the oldest canned food producer;〔(Conservas A Ramirez, Portugal’s oldest brand, opens nutrition center, Inside Portugal Travel, 2009 )〕 Cimpor, one of the world's 10th largest producers of cement; EDP Renováveis, the 3rd largest producer of wind energy in the world; Jerónimo Martins, consumer products manufacturer and retail market leader in Portugal, Poland and Colombia; TAP Portugal, highly regarded for its safety record, and one of the leading airlines linking Europe with Africa and Latin America (namely Brazil). The Portuguese educational system has been in gradual modernization and relative expansion since the 1960s, achieving recognition for its world-standard practices and trends in the 21st century. Portugal is home to several world class universities and business schools that have been contributing for the creation of a number of high renown top international managers 〔(Portuguese Who Sit at the Top of the World, Portugal Daily View, May 2012 )〕 and are attracting an increase number of foreign students.〔(Portugal: mais de 7 mil vagas para estudantes estrangeiros em 2015, Emprego pelo Mundo, August 2014 )〕 ==History== (詳細はウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Economy of Portugal」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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